I want to preface this by saying that I would never encourage a riot and I hope that I am never at a prison where one breaks out, forcing me to choose whether to take part or to take the consequences of not doing so from those who are.
However, I do think that the increase in the number and seriousness of prison disturbances over the past couple of years could actually be a good thing. Of course I don’t want anyone to get hurt, whether they are a prisoner or an officer, but physical violence does not necessarily have to be a core element of rioting. Criminal damage? Usually. Mutiny and insubordination? Definitely. But physical assault? It’s simply not necessary. What you won’t read in the mainstream media though, is what long term benefits may come from these riots for people on all sides.
Adam-your opening paragraph is spot on and illustrates one of the dilemmas of being locked up.
In English Common Law “actual violence” must occur for it to be defined as a riot. You will educate me if you tell me the Public Order Acts changed this part of the definition required to obtain a guilty verdict in Court.
How to keep out (or not) of it is a really difficult situation to be in. In a “tumultuous disturbance of the peace” morality (ours!) takes on a very different meaning with serious consequences for those captured.
Hope you are well as can be expected and keep up the good work. May 2017 be the year you have been waiting for.
You may well be right about rioting in the sense it is used in law, but I do think that the public perception of rioting is wider than that and includes such things as mutiny and breeches of the peace by large groups of people. Of course, Her Majesty’s Prison Service no longer distinguishes between these things either calling all such acts “concerted indiscipline.” Thanks for your good wishes, Chooch. I hope the year ahead goes well for you too.